The Trust for Public Land hosted its annual gala on Wednesday, in New York, NY. The benefit honored individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to advancing The Trust for Public Land’s mission to create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Bob Farnsworth, CEO of PlayCore received the nonprofit’s most visible and public tribute—the Land for People Award.
“Bob’s relentless dedication to building best practice play and recreation spaces, his belief that all people have the right to play, and his commitment to give back to the Chattanooga community makes him an ideal recipient for the Land for People Award,” said Rick Wood, Tennessee director for The Trust for Public Land.
Each park, playground, or public space The Trust for Public land creates is an open invitation for everyone to explore, wonder, discover, and play.
That’s why partnering with PlayCore has been such a perfect fit for both organizations. PlayCore is a leader in developing programs and education resources, and strives to enrich communities by advancing play through research, education, and partnerships.
Under Mr. Farnsworth’s guidance, PlayCore has grown to become not only the largest provider of play and recreation equipment in the US, but a trusted partner for communities to find up-to-date research on play best practices, sourced through PlayCore’s extensive network of universities, scholars, and experts.
“PlayCore is committed to helping communities infuse play and recreation opportunities into the lives of people,” said Mr. Farnsworth. “Play is key to life, at all stages of life, and we help communities build meaningful play experiences through the combination of scholarly research, best practice programming, and innovative recreation products.”
While both The Trust for Public Land and PlayCore have a large, nationwide presence, the passion each group has a clear passion for ccreating parks and fostering acess to places to play throughout Chattanooga. Most recently, the two organizations partnered to install six Trust for Public Land Fitness Zone exercise areas across the city. Each zone was intentionally placed in underserved communities where people often don’t have access to exercise equipment.
The Trust for Public Land used Geographic Information System (GIS) data to identify locations where these installations would serve the greatest need. PlayCore spent several months gathering research, observations, and data on the sites to help measure the effect over a period of time. Funding for the Fitness Zone areas was provided by the Tennessee Health Foundation of Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Anne-Marie Spencer, corporate vice president of Marketing & Communications for PlayCore said, “In conversations with the local residents, so many have commented on the effects that the fitness installations have had on their lives and overall health. Being able to see these changes, hear these stories, meet these people, and know that we’ve made an impact here at home is the kind of thing that makes everyone at PlayCore excited. It’s what drives us. We are delighted to align with the Trust for Public Land in our shared mission, and to call them a partner in play and recreation.”